Cook tops, ovens and ranges typically include one or more heat sources to provide energy to heat food within a cooking utensil. A user can operate the cooking appliance using an input device such as a knob. When the user initiates cooking using the input device, the heat source is initiated. A cooking utensil, such as a pot or pan, can be placed in the vicinity of the heat source for cooking.
The burners of the cook tops are generally controlled solely by a user adjusting the input device to the desired heating level. The size of the cooking utensil, the material of the cooking utensil, and the type and/or amount of food placed within utensil are a few characteristics that influence cooking However, in conventional cook tops these characteristics are not automatically considered when determining the output of the heat source. For instance, the amount of heat applied to a burner is generally controlled manually by a user of the appliance.
While various methods for detecting the presence of a cooking utensil on a cook top are generally known, a need exists for an improved system and method of detecting a presence of a cooking utensil and other characteristics of the cooking utensil such as its size (e.g. diameter of bottom) or material type (e.g. aluminum, copper, stainless steel, etc.).